Giant Killer Porsches at 2017 Amelia Island Concours

Porsche’s landmark four-cam four-cylinder racing cars of the 1950s and ’60s will star in a special competition class at the 2017 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, to be held March 10-12 at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Florida.

An unparalleled collection of Porsche 550 Spyders, 718, RSK, RS60 sports racing cars — all powered by Ernst Fuhrmann’s extraordinary four-cylinder engine — will gather at the Amelia Island Concours 2017 for a much different competition than Ferry Porsche envisioned when he gave the order to produce the first four-cylinder four-cam Porsche engine.

It was named Project 547. Its horizontally opposed double overhead cam architecture has been the cornerstone of Porsche race engineering and the foundation of Porsche’s extraordinary competition success ever since.

First came overall victory in the 1956 Targa Florio for the 550 Spyder. Then the four-cam-powered Porsche type 718 led the way to more classic Porsche’s victories in the 1959 Targa Florio, the 1960 Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix of Endurance plus winning the 1960 Formula 2 World Championship.

“The four-cam, the 550 Spyder and the 718, is where Porsche’s ‘giant killer’ legend begins,” said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “We’re honored to have the 1960 Sebring winning RS60 confirmed for the 2017 Amelia. This is one of the most important cars that launched Porsche on its current course earning Porsche its reputation as a ‘Giant Killer’.

The four-cylinder four-cam renaissance is underway at Porsche today with the new 919 World Endurance Championship and Le Mans-winning Prototype plus the new 718 Boxster and Cayman. Two more Le Mans 24 Hour victories have been achieved. That brings Porsche’s tally in the world’s most famous endurance race to a seemingly unassailable 18 overall Le Mans victories.

“This all started with Ernst Fuhrmann’s brilliant four-cam-four over 60 years ago,” said Warner.